Russian military likely used an anti-ship missile in the attack on Dnipro, which killed 40 people, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
Russian troops used the long-range, 1980s-era AS-4 Kitchen cruise missile, launched from a Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire medium bomber, according to the British MoD on Monday.
The Kitchen missile is a long-range tactical, standoff missile. It is not known for its precision when used against ground targets, according to the British MoD.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 17 January 2023
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/cJMPkLSUgH
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/cOHXJS6j6E
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 17, 2023
Over the weekend, Russia launched multiple missile strikes, including the one against Dnipro, where the Kitchen is likely to have been used. The anti-ship missile hit an apartment building, Ukrainian officials said.
The death toll is now at 40, according to The New York Times, but 34 people were still missing three days after the strike. The Dnipro attack is one of the most deadly hits on civilian infrastructure since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago.
Russian missiles also struck Kherson, where a residential building, a vacant children’s hospital and a boarding school were hit. The bombardment killed three people, according to the Times.
So far, the United Nations has confirmed 7,000 civilians deaths, which include 398 children, but the death total is likely higher.
During a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that Russia launched missiles from the air, land and sea, but he did not specify the type of missiles. Russia does have Kalibr cruise missile capable ships in the Black Sea.
It is unclear how many ships Russia currently has in the Black Sea. On Saturday, the British MoD reported that 10 ships in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet left Novorossiysk Naval Facility.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 14 January 2023
Find out more about the UK government’s response: https://t.co/rplsUvpx6O
?? #StandWithUkraine ?? pic.twitter.com/DkfwwwZUO2
— Ministry of Defence ?? (@DefenceHQ) January 14, 2023
Naval News reported that among the ships were Pyotr Morgunov, an Ivan Gren-class landing ship, and three Project 636.3 Kilo-class submarines.
